Mass Merchant

Market Track compared retail circular advertising in February 2016 vs. February 2015 and noted trends occurring across top retail chains.

Kohl’s added four comparable circulars in February 2016, promoting mainly short duration sales like “50% Two-Day Sale,” “Doorbusters,” and “Make a Point to Shop.” They attempted to leverage their rewards program with 3X the points during the “Make a Point to Shop” sales.

Ross Dress for Less announced three new stores, part of the retailer’s 2016 expansion program, which calls for 70 new locations.

Ross will open a new store and relocate a store in Mobile, Alabama on March 5. The new 25,000-sq.-ft. West Mobile store is located in Westwood Plaza, one mile east of the Mobile Regional Airport. The Mobile location is a 25,000-sq-ft. store that relocated into the McGowin Park East Shopping Center at the southeast corner of Interstate 65 and Highway 90.

Warm weather was a problem for most retailers in the fourth quarter, but Houston-based Stage Stores also got hit by weakness in the energy sector and the Mexican Peso.

Kohl’s announced it donated more than $51 million in 2015 through various charitable efforts and programs.

The donations include nearly $16 million in corporate grants through Kohl’s premier associate volunteer program and approximately $19 million donated through Kohl’s Cares® cause merchandise, in addition to other philanthropic giving.

While the phrase gateway markets can be a little bit nebulous – and different people have different ideas about the exact list of cities that qualify – the term is well understood to refer to large mature cities with a track record of population growth, great demographics and a strong and diverse economic foundation.

A&G Realty Partners has been retained by The Sports Authority to manage the sale of retail store leases and assist in reducing the retailer’s occupancy costs following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

A&G Realty is currently accepting bids on the leases, which range from 10,000 to 75,000 sq. ft. and are located in many of the major retail markets in the country including prestigious locations in California, Florida, Puerto Rico and Texas.  The auction will take place in mid-April.

The discounter plans to invest some $1.8 billion in 2016 on capital projects, with the majority going to e-commerce and supply chain improvements, as well as in-store improvements. And starting in 2017, Target will ramp up its tech spending even more, Fortune reported. [Fortune]

Meijer will spend $400 million on store expansion and remodeling in 2016 as the chain looks to expand its footprint.

The investment includes the construction of nine new Meijer supercenters and 32 remodel projects. While Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin will each welcome new Meijer supercenters later this year, dozens of other Meijer stores have begun or will soon begin remodel projects to further enhance the customer shopping experience.